Valve mechanism for dispensing gases and liquids under pressure



March 17, 1953 AND LIQUIDS UNDER PRESSURE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1949 p m J 2. mm W f m j E 6 x m A 9 4 ID z B :|1 I I I I I 1 I l l 1 1 l I 1 l a l I I I n w 7.. ||1|l||||||l I l I I l l l l I I 1 l l1 8 "IIAILT H M 2 2 L K 1 3 a March 17, 1953 Filed Sept. 28, 1949 Q J F 2 H.ABPLANA NISM FOR DISP I G GASES 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 AGENT Patented Mar. 17, 1953 V'ALVE MECHANISM FOR -.DISPENS1NG GASES- AND LIQUIDS UNDER PRES- SURE Robert H. Abplanalp BrongN. Y. Application September 28, 1949, SerialNo'.118;301

8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in valve mechanisms. Although my invention may be used to control the flow of any type of gas or liquid, it is particularly adapted for use with aerosol dispensers which utilize the principle of mixing a liquified gas with an active liquid in a container under pressure sufficient to force the solution out through the valve; whereupon, the liquified gas vaporizes immediately and breaks away from the active ingredient, tiny particles of which are then propelled and may be directed onto an object in the form of a residual effect as in the caseof paints, waxes, lotions, etc; or, in the case of insecticides, .germicides, nasal relief, etc., the propelled active-ingredient will remain airborne. V

The present invention is adapted for use with either of two well known types of aerosol dispensers. One type, known as atop-filling container, is that having an opening at the top through which it is filled and into which a dispensing valve is then sealed. The second type, the bottom filled container, is one in which the valve is assembled as an integral part of the container in one end thereof and the opposite end left open for filling, after which it is sealed-by any suitable means.

The full utilization of the aerosol principle of dispensing in the insecticidal, germicidal, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, paint, wax, and many other similar fields has been seriously handi- .capped and retarded because the large variety of formulations which have been developed and which require various sizes, shapes,- and types of containers cannot conveniently beused with the these methods it-is absolutely essential that there be not the tiniest opening. in the seal or the gas will com'pletelyescape andthe dispenser will be useless. A furtherobjection to soldering, etc. is thatsiich operations practically preclude the use of aluminum, a highlydesirable materialfor the construction of light-weight dispensers.

. Another objectionable feature inherent in some valvesis that the actuating plunger is" tightly fitted iiia sealing gasket'whichhas a tendency'to swell,'- under influence of the contents of the conminer; thus makifigopening ofthe valvedifii'cult 2 and, after openin preventing aproper closing of the valve thereby causing wasteful lossof aerosol.

Prior to my invention most container manufacturers had standardized on a one inch'opefiing in view of available valves and therefore the-minimum size of containers has been much toolar'ge for use to dispense cosmetics and 'the'like in' a'e'rosol form. By utilizing my inventionin its form whereby it is assembled as an integral part'o'f a container which is filled and sealed at the bottom, the container'diameter maybe aslittle' as three eighths of an inch or even less, and" the container may be'of such'length as desired thus enabling the production of a slender pencil shaped aerosol dispenser which would'be a'esthetically and pra'c'ticably adaptedfor the economical and safe dispensing of perfumes,- cosmetics and the like.

Essentially, the valve of my invention'includes a tubular valve body, a reciprocable core member, a resilient gasket, and a'housing inwhich these parts are mountedall of these'parts being readily adaptable for commercial production:

The valve is mounted ready for use by a single crimping-or rolling operation either in a formed cap which is adapted for attachment in the opening of a container, or, in an integral part of a container adapted to be filled from the bottom and then sealed. The design ofthe core and'its relation to the resilient sealing gasket constitutes one of the principal features of novelty of'my invention over Jthe'prior art. Preferably'the' core is madefrom square stock, the lower or body portion havingthe corners turned to a radius adapted to slide in a counterbore in the valve body. About midway of its length, the core is provided with an annular shoulderformed' by turning a neckedportion'to a diameter less'than the'distance across the flats. This turned down neckedpo'rtion extends upwardly'to a point substantially less than the thickness of the'gask'et and then'tapers outwardly" to aste'm' portion of larger diameter which extendsthrough the top' of the housingand is adaptedto support a pressbutton having a spray nozzle mounted: therein. The stem'portion of the core is bored to a point below the above mentioned shoulder and connected to the surface of the reduced diameter adjacent the shoulder .by a transverse'inlet assage. The bore and the internal opening. inthe press-buttonserve as an expansion chamber to assure propervaporization of the aerosol.

The" asket is compressed between the upper annular surface of the valve" body anaiiie' top of the housing and has a central bore of a lesser diameter than the reduced portion of the core around which it is fitted to seal off th transverse inlet passage. Since the length of the reduced portion is substantiall less than the thickness of the gasket th upper inside face of the center bore will be compressed to the contour of the taper.

When the press-button of my valve is depressed the tapered portion of the core causes the internal bore of the gasket to be rolled outwardly at the bottom thus creating an annular clearance area around the shoulder of the core thereby permitting the aerosol to be expelled from the container, through a dip tube, the valve body, and transverse inlet passage into an expansion cham'-- her and hence through a spray nozzle.

It will readily be seen that in my valve any swelling of the gasket will not cause seizure of the core and interference with the normal function of the release mechanism of the dispenser because the core does not slide in the gasket but instead rolls a portion thereof aside. Also, my

. valve is constructed so that the lower surface of v the press-button forms a stop to limit the downward movement for the center-bore of the gasket whereby it cannot Slide over the taper and onto the larger diameter of the core.

One object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing valve mechanism readily adapted for economical mass production without the use of soldering, brazing, welding, or threading.

. Another object is to provide a dispensing valve mechanism wherein the actuating mechanism -responds freely and, upon release, returns instantly to its normal condition.

Another object is to provide a dispensing valve, the sealing parts of which are housed within the dispenser container.

Another object is to provide a valve mechanism adapted for installation either as an integral part of a bottom-filled aerosol dispenser or in a cap adapted to seal a top-filled aerosol dispenser.

Another object is to provide a Valve mechanism adapted for use with an aerosol dispenser of slender design.

Another object is to provide a dispenser valve mechanism particularly adapted for the aerosol dispensing of paints, waxes, lotions, and similar type liquids.

Another object is to provide a dispenser valve mechanism particularly adapted for dispensing insecticides, germicides, nasal relief, and similar and performance is not aiiected by the numerous different chemicals involved in aerosol mixtures. Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following .description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the several parts i of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section,

- illustrating my valve installed in a conventional aerosol dispenser.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, elevational, sectional view on an enlarged scale and illustrates the Valve in its closed position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but shows the valve in open position; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3 particularly illustrating the relation between the core and the valve body of my inven-- tion.

Referring to Figure 1 the elements of one embodiment of my invention include a valve body l, a reciprocable core 2, a return spring 3, a dip tube t, a resilient sealing gasket 5, a specially formed top-filling container cap 6, a safety clip I, and a press-button 8 having fixed therein a discharge nozzle 9.

The cap 6 is of the conventional design used in aerosol dispensers such as illustrated in Figure 2 except for a centrally perforated inverted cup shaped valve housing H formed therein and of such diameter as to receive valve body i without binding, the edges of the perforation being turned downwardly to form an annular sealing ridge against the upper side of the gasket. Gasket 5 may be made of any resilient material to suit various formulations. Its outside diameter is such as to effect a press fit into the valve housing I I.

A shoulder i5 is formed on the core body by turning a necked portion which comprises a reduced portion 43 and a tapered portion 11. Reduced portion i3, shown as cylindrical, extends from shoulder id for a distance substantially less than the thickness of gasket 5 and then tapers outwardly to a stem portion Is.

As a sub-assembly the gasket 5 is pressed over stem 14 of core 2 until its lower surface engages shoulder l5 of the core, and the return spring 3 is pressed onto a depending projection it of core 2the inside diameter of the spring being such as to effect a resilient engagement with projection 16. As best seen in Fig. 3, gasket 5 is substantially thicker than the height of reduced cylindrical portion l3 of the core hence it is compressed to follow the contour of bevelled surface ll thereby creating a downward pressure of the gasket against shoulder I5 and also effectually sealing a transverse, cross axial inlet passage 18 which extends through reduced portion l3 into an axial bore 19 in stem 14.

The body portion 26 of core 2 and spring 3 thereto attached, of the sub-assembly just described, are then placed in counterbore 2a of valve body lthe return spring 3 seating in the 7 base of the counterbore 20. The entire assembly is then pressed into housing II to a point Where the upper edge 2| of body I is indented into the underside of gasket 5, and, when thus positioned, an annular crimp 22 is impressed into an annular groove 23 in valve body I (Fig. 3) thus, by a simple speedy operation, to secure the valve mechanism in the container cap. To complete the assembly-dip tube 4 is applied to a depending reduced-diameter projection 24 of body 1 and a polyethylene press-button 8, in which has been p re-assembled a discharge nozzle 9, is squeezed onto stem M of core 2. The discharge nozzle 8 is so mounted in press-button 8 as to back up against the top of stem I4 thereby providing means for controlling the stroke of core 2.

To avoid accidental discharge, a safety clip I of the horseshoe variety may be snapped into engagement with stem l4 beneath press-button 8. While I have found polyethylene a desirable material for press-button 8 I do not wish to be limited to its use because different formulations might require use of different materials. The clip may be of plastic or any other suitable mateassigns .f rial and must be'ofsufiicientthicknessto prevent inadvertent depression of thepress-button.

A cavity 25' impress-button 8;- togetherwith axial bore I B in stem- I 4, combineto 'form an "ex- "pansion chamberE in communication with hollowdischarge nozzle 9 and a discharge orifice It.

- For dispensing aerosol mixtu-res such -as -secticide having-=9. forin-ulation of 1 approximately 435% propellant 1 and '15 insecticidal active ingredient I have found it desirable to make-inlet passage I8 about1015 in diameter and thediameter of the discharge -oriflc'e is about the same or s'l-ightly larger. v To dispense; as :a residual eife'ct'; heavier type aerosol suchas paints having a. formulationor 51193: propellant land -50.% :paint, the diameter of -inlet2 passager IIB shOuldbeLJab'Qut .1329. and that of discharge orifice:abcut;;025 "Ihusfitmayibe seehithatfivarious discharge; 'efie'cts: may be .had abyvarying; relatively, the diameters of inlet i B and orifice II]. For spray effe'ctsthe. diameter oftheudischarge orifice l h i should be. as large as or slightly "larger than the: inlet passage I 8.

. ,Aszmay be seen inFigsrB and anaxial bore 21 is provided through dip tube supporting projection. 24 land. v.in communication with counter- '-bore 20.-

As shown in Fig. 5 the cross section-of the body portion 26 of core 2 is irregularly shaped thereby providingisupportingEportions 28 adapted to slidably engage the Walls of counterbore thus assuring a non-tilting stroke ofthe' core when the press-button is depressed. The irregular shape of body portion 26 of the core in relation to counterbore 20 of the valve body also provides a plurality of passages 29 through which aerosol may .Inview of the above-description, whereby my valvezis appliedto..a.cap.adapted lfor use with a top-filling container.asflillustrated in Fig. 2,.it .m'ayv readily beseenfromiig; 3zthat the identical valvemechanisms can. be utilized in a bottom- ".filling container by. forming in the closed end, and as an integral part thereof, a shaped housing ll just described.

Also, my valve is readily adapted for use with a bottom-filled dispenser having a valve housing formed in the closed end thereof similar to housin I I, the container body proper being a continuation, in the same diameter, of the valve housing thus to provide an aerosol dispenser which, in view of the preferred size and construction of my valve, would be approximately only three eighths of one inch in diameter. According to the latter type of dispenser it would be desirable to apply dip tube 4 before insertion of the;.yalve mechanism for crimping.

Operation With safety clip 1 (Fig. 1) removed, pressbutton 8 is manually depressed as shown in Fig. 4 thereby forcing core 2 downwardly against the resistance of spring 3. When core 2 is moved downwardly, tapered portion I1 of the necked portion of stem [4 presses the central portion of gasket 5 downwardly and, because the outer portion of said gasket is gripped between the upper edge 2| of the valve body and the housing II therefor, the central portion is flexed thereby causing an enlargement of the lower edge of the inside diameter of the gasket l2. By virtue of the above flexing action, shoulder l5 of core 2 breaks its sealing contact with the underside of the gasket and an annular clearance opening 30 '6 is --cr'eat'e'd 7 thus exposing inlet passage Is-tin re 'duced cylindrical portion I 3 of stem l 4.-

With the valve mechanism in the ab'ovedescribed open condition the-gaspressure in area "3F (Fig. 2) of the container forces the mixture '32 thereinupwardly through dip t'ubed, axial box-e21, counterbore 2i),- passages 29, F annular clearance '30, and transverse inlet passage I 8 into expansion chamber E wherethe liquifie'd gas vaporizesandbecomes gaseous. The' gaseous aerosol mixture travels through the expansion chamber andout through the discharge'o-rifice or'spray nozzle ;-'whereupon the gas, upon entering atmospheric temperature and pressure, completely disperses and breaks' away from thea'ctive ingredient thus leaving minute particles of the active-ingredient.airborne or'to be deposited as a-residual effect, according tothe' desiredteife'c't as "controlled by the correlated sizes =-of finlet passage 8 and discharge orifice I 0.

Thi operation is made possible by thenov'e'l construction of applicant/s valve mechanism. When the parts areas shown in Figure 3, the fact that the center opening of the gasket is of lesser diameter than the reduced portion [3 will cause the gasket to be under radial tension'or stress. As a result'the wall of the gasket opening is caused toclcsely hug the necked portion I3 and f'orma-positive seal for the passage [8. Amadditional seal is also'pre'sent between the bottom face of the gasket and the-shoulder I5 and'a still further seal is present between the gasket and the beveled portion I1. Thus, under'the normal conditions shown in Figure 3, there are threedistinct seals which effectually preclude leakage. Furthermore, as theinner margin of'the gasket is confined between the. shoulder I5 and the tapered orbeveled surface I'I, downward movement which may beiimparted to the core member will cause it to carry'with it the central portion of the gasket so that the latter is bent downwardly and fl'ared'radially outwardly into the condition shown in Figure 4. This operation withdraws the inner periphery of the gasket from its sealing relation with the passage I8 and at the same time produces a space between the gasket and the shoulder I5 to break the seal at this point. Nevertheless the seal between the gasket and the tapered surface remains and becomes even tighter than before so that the contents may be dispensed without attendant leakage to the atmosphere between the core member and the gasket.

While I have described what I consider to be a highly desirable embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many changes in form could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown and described, nor to anything less than the whole of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim is:

l. A valve mechanism comprising: a valve core formed with a stem portion joined by a reduced neck to a body portion, an annular resilient sealing gasket the central opening of which tightly encircels the neck and normally obturates the inner end of a discharge passage extending from the circumferential surface of the neck and thence longitudinally of the core to the outer end of said stem portion, said neck being exteriorly of a cross axial shoulder defining the outer end of the body portion, and a tapering portion defining the inner end of the stem and extending into the central opening of the gasket :to permit axial expansion and swelling of the gasket without binding it between the shoulder and the tapering portion.

2. A valve mechanism comprising: a valve body having an axial passage, an axially movable valve core formed with a stem portion exteriorly of said axial passage but coaxial therewith and joined by a reduced neck to a body portion disposed within said axial passage, an annular resilient sealing gasket the central opening of which tightly encircles the neck and normally obturates the inner end of a discharge passage extending from the circumferential surface of the neck and thence longitudinally of the core to the outer end of said stem portion, said neck being exteriorly of a cross axial shoulder defining the outer end .of the body portion, and a tapering portion defining the inner end of the stem portion and extending into the central opening of the gasket to permit axial expansion and swelling of the gasket Without binding it between the shoulder and the tapering portion.

3. A valve mechanism comprising: a valve body having an axial passage, an axially movable valve core formed with a stem portion exteriorly of said axial passage but coaxial therewith and joined by a reduced neck to a body portion disposed within said axial passage, an annular resilient sealing gasket the outer periphery of which is held against movement and the central opening of which tightly encircles the neck and northe gasket to uncover the discharge passage when the movable valve core is pressed inwardly.

4. A valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the stem is provided at its outer end with a discharge orifice and wherein that portion of the discharge passage between the inner end of the discharge passage and said orifice is ofv greater cross sectional area than either of them to provide an expansion chamber between them;

5. A valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the outer end of the stem is provided with a discharge orifice of greater cross sectional area than the inner end of the discharge passage and wherein that portion of the discharge passage between the inner end of the discharge passage and said orifice is of enlarged cross sectional area to form an expansion chamber.

6. A valve mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder is substantially normal to the axis of the core.

. 7. A valve mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein said neck is formed partially of a cylindrical portion and partially by said tapering portion.

8. A valve mechanism according to claim 3, wherein a spring bears against the core to normally urge the core into a position wherein the discharge passage is sealed.

ROBERT H. ABPLANALP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 25,853 Stickney Oct. 18, 1859 34,894 Lynde Apr. 9, 1862 1,207,392 Frazier Dec. 5,1916 1,961,371 Mapes June 5, 1934 2,204,088 Kugler June 11, 1940 2,372,392 Pletman 'Mar. 27, 1945 

